


Anna Darcy and The Polyjuice Potion

by StarryEyedLove1



Series: Meetings In The Tower [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 07:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryEyedLove1/pseuds/StarryEyedLove1
Summary: Anna agrees to accompany her friends in finding out information as to who the heir of Slytherin truly is, but will she find more then she bargained for? (One shot set during The Chamber of Secrets)





	Anna Darcy and The Polyjuice Potion

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters with the exception of Anna Darcy belong to the wonderful JK Rowling. I make no money off this, I'm just playing in the sandbox of her world.  
> Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this One Shot to all of my lovelies out there who've read, kudos, and bookmarked the Meetings In The Tower series. You make being a fan fiction writer worthwhile!  
> With Love,  
> Starry**

**Anna Darcy and The Polyjuice Potion**

_'I've done it now..'_ Anna Darcy thought miserably as stepped up the stone staircase, and followed Professor Flitwick as he rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor Flitwick told Anna to wait before he left her there, alone. 

Anna looked around awestruck. One thing was certain: of all the teachers’ offices Anna had visited so far this year, Dumbledore’s was by far the most interesting. If she hadn’t been scared out of her wits that she was about to be thrown out of school, she would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it. 

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard’s hat—the Sorting Hat. 

Anna hesitated. She cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn’t hurt if she took the hat down and tried it on again? Just to see… just to make sure it had put **_her_** in the right House— 

She walked quietly around the desk, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto her head. It was much too large and slipped down over her eyes, just as it had done the last time she’d put it on. Anna stared at the black inside of the hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in her ear, “Bee in your bonnet, Anastasia Lestrange?” 

“I, suppose,” Anna said softly. “I—I don't mean to trouble you—I wanted to know—” 

“You’ve been wondering whether I put you in the right House?” said the hat smartly. “Yes… you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before”—Anna’s heart leapt—“you would have done well in Slytherin, you are by blood a Lestrange _not_ a Darcy, and every single one I sorted into Slytherin—” 

Anna’s stomach plummeted. She grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in her hand, grubby and faded. Anna pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick. 

“You’re wrong,” she said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn’t move. Anna backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind her made her wheel around.

She wasn’t alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit looking bird that resembled a half plucked turkey. Anna stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Anna thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Anna watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

Anna was just thinking that all she needed was for Dumbledore’s pet bird to die while she was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames. 

Anna shrieked in shock and backed away into the desk. She looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn’t see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smoldering pile of ash on the floor. 

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber. 

“Professor,” Anna gasped. “Your bird—I couldn’t do anything—he just caught fire—” 

To Anna’s relief and astonishment, Dumbledore smiled. 

“About time, too,” he said. “He’s been looking dreadful for days; I’ve been telling him to get a move on.” He chuckled at the stunned look on Anna’s face. 

“Fawkes is a phoenix, Anna. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him…” 

Anna looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one. 

“It’s a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day,” said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. “He’s really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets.” 

In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Anna had forgotten what she was there for, but it all came back to her as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Anna with his penetrating, light blue stare. 

"Anna I see that you've been," he looked down at Professor Flitwick's scrawl and frowned. "Putting temporary hair dye in your roommates' shampoos, for the third time in the last three weeks. Miss. Patril and her friends have had violet, indigo and fuchsia locks. May I inquire why my dear girl?"

Anna bit her lip, she felt her eyes tear up before a confession came off her lips, "The girls...sir...they aren't very nice to me and I thought maybe...a laugh at their expense would help me feel better about the whole situation...I don't know... I'm not sure I even belong in Ravenclaw, the hat only put me there cause I didn't want to be in Slytherin."

"I see," Dumbledore said softly. "While I do think the detention with Professor Flitwick is most certainly in order, I must disagree that you don't belong in Ravenclaw, in fact that is precisely where you needed to be."

"But Sir," Anna protested. "They're all so smart and serious and I'm-" 

"A creative mind and quick wit, I do believe those were traits Rowena Ravenclaw held in high esteem," Dumbledore smiled before turning serious. "While I am not one to stifle one's creativity I would suggest you be much more careful that you don't get caught going forward..."

"So I'm not getting expelled?" Anna choked out as waited nervously while Dumbledore considered her, the tips of his long fingers together. 

“Not likely, Anna, I had a friend growing up, he was a lot like you. Very mischievous indeed, but you must remember to never forgot your moral compass and ultimately who you are, ” he said gently. “Wear it like an armor and you can never be harmed by what the likes of anyone in your house may say.” 

“Yes,” said Anna. “Thank you, Professor…” 

Anna thought about double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick long into the night especially as she nervously navigated the halls leading towards the Ravenclaw tower. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick’s fate that seemed to worry Anna and most of her classmates most. _'What could possibly do that to a ghost?_ she couldn't help but wonder; _'what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead?_ Anna watched a swarm of her classmates move forward to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas. 

“At this rate, we’ll be the only ones left,” Ron told she, Harry and Hermione. “Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it’s going to be.” 

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Anna and her friends were glad that most people were leaving. She was tired of having to glare and fend off the people who were skirting around Harry in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; she was tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing that accompanied them as they passed. 

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry and the rest of them down the corridors, shouting, “Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard and his minions coming through…” 

Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior. 

“It is not a laughing matter,” he said coldly. 

“Oh, get out of the way, Percy,” said Fred. “Harry’s in a hurry.” 

“Yeah, he’s off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant,” said George, chortling. 

Anna found these antics rather amusing. 

“Oh, we'd tell you but then we'd have to petrify you,” she'd wink every time Fred accosted them in the hallways asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met. 

To Anna's immense relief, Harry didn’t mind. He'd told her in the courtyard between classes that made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin’s heir was quite ludicrous. But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

“It’s because he’s bursting to say it’s really him,” said Ron knowingly. “You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you’re getting all the credit for his dirty work.” 

"How much longer till it's ready?" Anna inquired, rather excitedly.

“Not for long,” said Hermione in a satisfied tone. “The Polyjuice Potion’s nearly ready. We’ll be getting the truth out of him any day now.” 

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Anna found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could sneak Anna in with the Invisibility Cloak play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private. Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behavior, didn’t spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time. 

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white as Anna (who'd snuck into the Gryffindor Common Room early, let in by Hermione) followed her bushy haired best friend up the stairs to the boys dorms. Harry and Ron, the only ones left in their dormitory, were shocked when the girls burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both. 

“Wake up,” she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window. 

"Hello Mates," Anna chuckled, basking in the sun that was shining in on Harry and Ron.

“Hermione—Anna-you’re not supposed to be in here—” said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light. 

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” said Hermione, throwing him his present. “I’ve been up for nearly an hour, Anna's been helping me adding more lacewings to the potion. It’s ready.” 

Harry sat up, suddenly wide awake, Anna chuckled as she flopped onto his bed. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive,” said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so that she could sit down on the end of Ron’s four-poster. “If we’re going to do it, I say it should be tonight.” 

After presents were exchanged and Christmas games were played the group made their way down to Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. 

The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favorite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Anna was able to sit with her Gryffindor friends harassment free and Percy, who hadn’t noticed that Fred had bewitched his prefect badge so that it now read “Pinhead,” kept asking them all what they were sniggering at. Anna didn’t even care that Draco Malfoy was making loud, snide remarks about Harry and Anna's new Weasley sweaters from the Slytherin table. With a bit of luck, Malfoy would be getting his comeuppance in a few hours’ time. 

Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Anna and Hermione ushered them out of the hall to finalize their plans for the evening. 

“We still need a bit of the people you’re changing into,” said Hermione matter of factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. “And obviously, it’ll be best if you can get something of Crabbe’s and Goyle’s; they’re Malfoys best friends, he’ll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can’t burst in on us while we’re interrogating him. 

“I’ve got it all worked out,” she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry’s and Ron’s stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. “I’ve filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them. You know how greedy they are, they’re bound to eat them. Once they’re asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet.” 

Harry and Ron looked incredulously at each other. 

“Hermione, I don’t think—” 

"I, for one, think it's _brilliant_ Herms," Anna said proudly. "about time I started rubbing off on you." 

“That could go seriously wrong—” 

But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had. 

“The potion will be useless without Crabbe’s and Goyle’s hair,” she said sternly. “You do want to investigate Malfoy, don’t you?” 

“Oh, all right, all right,” said Harry. “But what about you two? Whose hair are you ripping out?” 

Anna held out a few sort strands of onyx hair, "Pansy Parkinson really shouldn't have left her backpack so close to my desk, she didn't even notice me nick these off her hair brush." she smirked cleverly. "She's home for the holiday's so I'll have to pose like I've changed my mind and wanted to come back."

“I’ve already got mine too!” said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. “Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she’s gone home for Christmas—so I’ll just have to tell the Slytherins I’ve decided to come back.” 

"Good luck, boys!" Anna chucked as she and Hermione left the pair to go check on the potion in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.  
She could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron, when Harry and Ron rushed back in some moments later. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Harry and Ron knocked softly on the door. 

“Hermione? Anna?” 

They heard the scrape of the lock and Anna emerged looking giddy with excitement, while Hermione followed behind her shinyfaced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion. Four glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat. 

"Well? How'd it go?" Anna asked, unable to wipe the grin off her face.

“Yes, did you get them?” Hermione asked breathlessly. 

Harry showed them both Goyle’s hair. 

“Brilliant. I nicked these spare robes out of the laundry,” Anna said, holding up a small sack. “You’ll need bigger sizes once you’re Crabbe and Goyle.” 

The four of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly. 

“I’m sure I’ve done everything right,” said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. “It looks like the book says it should… once we’ve drunk it, we’ll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves.” 

"You've done better then right, you've done bloody fantastic!" Anna reassured her. 

“Now what?” Ron whispered. 

“We separate it into four glasses and add the hairs.” 

Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode’s hair out of its bottle into the first glass. 

The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow. 

“Urgh—essence of Millicent Bulstrode,” said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. “Bet it tastes disgusting.” 

“Add yours, then,” said Hermione turning towards her three best friends. 

Anna dropped Pany's hair into the second glass, while Harry dropped Goyle’s hair into the middle glass and finally Ron put Crabbe’s into the last one. All three glasses hissed and frothed: Pansy's turned into a muddy maroon, while Goyle’s turned the khaki color of a booger, and Crabbe’s a dark, murky brown. 

“Hang on,” said Harry as she, Ron, and Hermione reached for their glasses. “We’d better not all drink them in here… Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won’t fit. And Millicent Bulstrode’s no pixie.” 

“Good thinking,” said Ron, unlocking the door. “We’ll take separate stalls.” 

"I'll take mine out here, Pansy and I have a similar build, granted she's a bit taller, but our similarities end there." Anna snickered.

Careful not to spill a drop of her Polyjuice Potion, Anna perched herself on the sink while her friends went into their perspective stalls. 

“Ready?” she called. 

“Ready,” came Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s voices. 

“One—two—three—” 

"Slante!" Anna called pinching her nose and drinking the potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage. 

Immediately, her insides started writhing as though she’d just swallowed live snakes—doubled up, she wondered whether she was going to be sick—then a burning sensation spread rapidly from her stomach to the very ends of her fingers and toes—next, she stumbled off the sink and on to the floor gasping on all fours as came a horrible melting feeling. The skin all over her body bubbled like hot wax—and before her eyes, her hands took on a more olive hue, the fingers lengthened, the nails perfectly manicured, her hair shortened and she grew several inches in the next several seconds.

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Anna turned and gasped to see the pug faced Pansy Parkinson, with short black hair, dark eyes and over the top lip gloss staring back at her. 

“Are you three okay?” the sound of Goyle’s low rasp of a voice almost startled her until she realized it was Harry.

"I think so," Anna answered in Pansy's shrill high pitched voice.

“Yeah,” came the deep grunt of Crabbe from their right. 

Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of her, Goyle stared back at her out of dull, deep set eyes. Ron’s door opened. They all stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms. 

"I'm bloody hideous!" Anna chirped happily but it sounded more like a whine with Pansy's voice 

“This is unbelievable,” said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe’s flat nose. “Unbelievable. “ 

“We’d better get going,” said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle’s thick wrist. “We’ve still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is. I only hope we can find someone to follow…” 

Ron, who had been gazing at Harry, said, “You don’t know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking.” He banged on Hermione’s door. “C’mon, we need to go—” 

A high pitched voice answered him. 

“I—I don’t think I’m going to come after all. You go on without me.” 

“Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode’s ugly, no one’s going to know it’s you—” 

“No—really—I don’t think I’ll come. You three hurry up, you’re wasting time—” 

Anna looked at Harry and Ron, bewildered. 

“That looks more like Goyle,” said Ron. “That’s how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question.” 

“Hermione, are you okay?” said Harry through the door. 

"Yeah, sweetie, what's the matter? I mean it can't be THAT bad" Anna threw in.

“Fine—I’m fine—go on—” 

Anna looked at Harry's watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed. 

“We’ll meet you back here, all right?” he said. 

Anna, Harry, and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off. 

“Don’t swing your arms like that,” Harry muttered to Ron. 

“Eh?” 

“Crabbe holds them sort of stiff…” 

“How’s this?” 

“Yeah, that’s better…” 

Anna did her best to strut like Pansy would as they hurried down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around. 

“Any ideas?” muttered Harry. 

"Yeah...you lot follow me," Anna said in a tone that was every inch Pansy.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances before they followed Anna down the stone steps into the darkness, while Anna as Pansy was much more nimble, the guy's footsteps were another story as they echoed particularly loudly everytime Crabbe’s and Goyle’s huge feet hit the floor, Anna had to stop herself from biting her lip in feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as they had hoped. 

The labyrinthine passages were deserted. So Anna led them deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking Harry or Ron's watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead. 

“Ha!” said Ron excitedly. “There’s one of them now!” 

The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn’t a Slytherin, it was Percy. 

“What’re you doing down here?” said Ron in surprise. 

Percy looked affronted. 

“That,” he said stiffly, “is none of your business. It’s Crabbe, isn’t it?” 

“Wh—oh, yeah,” said Ron. 

“Well, get off to your dormitories,” said Percy sternly. “It’s not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days.” 

“You are,” Ron pointed out. 

“I,” said Percy, drawing himself up, “am a prefect. Nothing’s about to attack me.” 

Anna rolled her eyes in a very Parkinson-eque way before speaking in the most arrogant tone she can muster, "Crabbe! Goyle! Hurry up you oafs, before we're _seen_ talking to this **_bloodtraitor_**!"

"That will be 15 points from Slytherin, Miss. Parkinson," Percy glared maliciously at Anna. "Now I suggest you and your friends go back to your dormitories before I send you lot to Professor Snape's office."

A voice suddenly echoed behind Anna, Harry and Ron as Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first time in her life, Anna was pleased to see him. 

"Draco!" She gushed in Pansy's over the top sweet voice. Without thinking she threw herself into his embrace which caught him mildly off guard before an arrogant smirk graced his lips and he returned her affections by patting her back awkwardly. Anna felt something akin to goosebumps prickle out across her flesh as Draco draped an arm possessively around her shoulders and turned to Harry and Ron.

“Back from your holiday early Pansy? I suppose I owe you thanks, I been looking all over for these two,” he drawled, looking down at Anna before turning to Harry and Ron with a stern frown. “Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I want to show you something really funny.” 

Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy. 

“And what’re you doing down here, Weasley?” he sneered. 

Percy looked outraged. 

“You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!” he said. “I don’t like your attitude!” 

When Malfoy sneered Anna did her best to snicker silently, before he motioned for Harry and Ron to follow them. Eyes wide, she watched as Harry almost said something apologetic to Percy but she discreetly elbowed him with the arm not draped around Malfoy's waist and he stopped speaking. He and Ron hurried after she and Malfoy, who said as they turned into the next passage, “That Peter Weasley—” 

“Percy,” Ron corrected him automatically.

Anna snorted and rolled her eyes, "Percy, Peter, honestly who _cares_ he's a thorn in our side and a perfectly good waste of pure Wizarding blood." she shot Ron a warning glare before during to Malfoy and batting her eyelashes, "isn't that right, Draco?" she cooed softly in a sickly sweet tone that almost made her vomit. She watched Harry and Ron exchange impressed glances at just how well Anna was imitating Pansy.

“Quite right, Pansy,” said Malfoy. “He's a little snitch for sure, I’ve noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he’s up to. He thinks he’s going to catch Slytherin’s heir single handed.” He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks while Anna burst out into Pansy's over the top laughter. 

Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall, he glanced down at Anna and smirked before turning to Harry. 

“What’s the new password again?” he said to Harry.

"Er—” said Harry. 

"Honestly, Goyle, you're so dense I can't even believe you're a _pure blood-_ " Anna retorted but stopped mid sentence as soon as she spoke the word pure blood the stone door concealed in the wall slid open and took every ounce of self control Anna could muster not to let out a victory 'whoop!'. 

“Oh, well ladies first, Pans!” said Malfoy stepping aside for Anna to hurry through it and he marched in right behind her, and Harry and Ron followed him. 

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high backed chairs. 

“Wait here,” said Malfoy to Anna, Harry and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. “I’ll go and get it—my father’s just sent it to me—” 

Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Anna flung herself lazily across the leather couch while Harry and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home. 

Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron’s nose. 

“That’ll give you a laugh,” he said. 

Harry saw Ron’s eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Harry who read it and passed it to Anna. 

It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said: 

**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

_Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car._

_Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley’s resignation._

_“Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute,” Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. “He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately.”_

_Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she’d set the family ghoul on them._

"Oh that's an absolute _riot_ Draco," Anna said handing off the clipping back to Harry who looked rather uncomfortable. "What's the family ghoul going to do? Haunt them to death?" she wigged her fingers dramatically and burst into a fit of forced laughter as her head fell backwards into Malfoy's lap. That same spark from earlier came back as they locked eyes for a moment, before Anna frowned and sat up quickly and Malfoy coughed uncomfortably and ran a hand through his slicked back hair.

“Right? Well Goyle,” said Malfoy impatiently as Harry handed the clipping back to him. “Don’t you think it’s funny?” 

“Ha, ha,” said Harry bleakly. 

“Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them,” said Malfoy scornfully. “You’d never know the Weasleys were pure bloods, the way they behave.” 

"With the lot they associate with it's honestly quite shameful if you ask me," Anna added snidely, glancing reverently towards Malfoy once more. She meant to distract Malfoy as Ron’s—or rather, Crabbe’s—face was contorted with fury-unfortunately it didn't work because his eyes fell expectantly towards Ron.

“What’s up with you, Crabbe?” snapped Malfoy. 

“Stomach ache,” Ron grunted. 

“Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me,” said Malfoy, snickering. “You know, I’m surprised the Daily Prophet hasn’t reported all these attacks yet,” he went on thoughtfully. “I suppose Dumbledore’s trying to hush it all up. He’ll be sacked if it doesn’t stop soon. Father’s always said old Dumbledore’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never’ve let slime like that Creevey in.” 

Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: “‘Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?’” 

Anna let out another forced chuckle but Harry and Ron looked murderous, he dropped his hands and looked at them. 

“What’s the matter with you two?” 

Far too late, Harry and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake. 

“Saint Potter, the Mudbloods’ friend,” said Malfoy slowly. “He’s another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn’t go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood. And people think he’s Slytherin’s heir!” 

Anna, Harry and Ron waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him—but then “I wish I knew who it is,” said Malfoy petulantly. “I could help them. Although I am surprised with all the trouble that Darcy girl gets into she didn't find something out she's another-” 

"Oh who cares about some blood trading sellout!" Anna spat trying to turn the topic back towards the heir. "Honestly Draco, Darcy is a lot more trouble then she's worth even mentioning...she's so busy up Potter, Weasley and Granger's ass she wouldn't know who the heir was if it bit her in the-"

"While you make a valid point Pansy, if anyone would have half a clue it would be that girl, if only to clear Saint Potter's name," Draco's tone seemed laced with acid and something that if Anna had known any better she'd saw was jealousy.

"You'd think you fancied this blood traitor the way you're talking about her, Draco," Anna pouted and doing a very convincing imitation of a jealous Pansy Parkinson.

"She's easy on the eyes, that's all," Draco replied arrogantly, running a hand through her hair in a reassuringly intimate gesture. "but you've got something she lacks, Pans, you know your station and who you should be associating with-Darcy doesn't have a clue." he huffed.

She smirked up at him as though he handled her 100 galleons, as Ron’s jaw dropped so that Crabbe looked even more clueless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy didn’t notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, “You must have some idea who’s behind it all…” 

“You know I haven’t, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?” snapped Malfoy. “And Father won’t tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it’ll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing—last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it’s a matter of time before one of them’s killed this time… I hope it’s Granger,” he said with relish. 

Anna let out another series of smitten giggles, while Ron was clenching Crabbe’s gigantic fists. Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Ron punched Malfoy, Anna reached out and kicked him in the shin while Harry shot him a warning look and said, “D’you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?” 

“Oh, yeah… whoever it was expelled,” said Malfoy. “They’re probably still in Azkaban.” 

“Azkaban?” said Harry, puzzled. 

“Azkaban—the wizard prison, Goyle,” said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. “Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backward.” 

He shifted restlessly in his seat and said, “Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he’s got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?” 

"Oh yes, that's horrible Draco!" Anna squealed while to her right Harry tried to force Goyle’s dull face into a look of concern. 

“Yeah…” said Malfoy. “Luckily, they didn’t find much. Father’s got some very valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we’ve got our own secret chamber under the drawing room floor—” 

“Ho!” said Ron. 

Malfoy looked at him. So did Anna and Harry. Ron blushed. Even his hair was turning red. His nose was also slowly lengthening—their hour was up, Ron was turning back into himself, and from the look of horror he was suddenly giving both Anna and Harry, they must be, too. 

The three of them jumped to their feet. 

“Medicine for my stomach,” Ron grunted.

"I should go with them," Anna shot up gingerly. "Merlin knows neither one of them are the brightest fireflies in the sky," 

With further ado the trio sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn’t noticed anything. Anna could feel her hair lengthen and her stature shrink considerably while she could see Harry's feet slipping around in Goyle’s huge shoes and chuckled loudly as he hoisted up his robes as he shrank too; they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where Anna assumed her friends locked the real Crabbe and Goyle. Harry and Ron took off the boys' shoes outside the closet door, as they heard footsteps falling quickly towards the sound, and sprinted ahead Anna (who narrowly missed being seen by the real Pansy Parkinson-who it turned out ended up coming back from her holiday home early-and was the source of the footsteps hurriedly rounding the corner). 

"Crabbe?! Goyle?! What are you doing in here?!" Pansy's voice shrieked, Anna swore she caught a glimpse of her long inky hair. "Darcy, I know this was you!!! Get back here!! Professor!!! Professor!! Darcy locked Crabbe and Goyle in a broom closet and charmed the lock!"

Anna held her laughter until the trio were back in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom before bursting out into peels of laughter.

"She thought it was you!" Harry laughed joining her in rancorous laughter that before they knew it they were leaning against one another stomachs aching.

"I know mate, she's sooooo easy to instigate though" Anna added breathlessly between bouts of laughter. 

“Well, it wasn’t a complete waste of time,” Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. “I know we still haven’t found out who’s doing the attacks, but I’m going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys’ drawing room. You really got Pansy's mannerisms down Anna, I actually thought you were her...”

"Well, you know what they always say, mate, keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer," Anna said in a sing-song voice. "Besides, at least I know Malfoy's keeping an eye on me during 'playtime', might have to teach him a valuable lesson in not being so nosey." 

Harry nodded in agreement as he and Anna checked their faces in the cracked mirror. They were both back to normal. Anna wiped Harry's glasses on her cloak put them on his face on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione’s stall. 

“Hermione, come out, we’ve got loads to tell you—” 

“Go away!” Hermione squeaked. 

Anna, Harry and Ron looked at each other. 

"Oh come on, Herms, come out!" Anna said rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, what’s the matter?” said Ron. “You must be back to normal by now, we are—” 

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Anna had never seen her looking so happy. 

“Ooooooh, wait till you see,” she said. “It’s awful—” 

They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head. 

“What’s up?” said Ron uncertainly. “Have you still got Millicent’s nose or something?” 

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink, while Anna and Harry watched her speechlessly. 

Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair. 

“It was a c-cat hair!” she howled. “M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn’t supposed to be used for animal transformations!” 

"Merlin's butt crack!" Anna finally exclaimed when her ability to speak came back.

“Uh oh,” said Ron. 

“You’ll be teased something dreadful,” said Myrtle happily. 

“It’s okay, Hermione,” said Harry quickly. “We’ll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…” 

"I'm coming with you," Anna said determinedly. She'd entered the shall Hermione had occupied most of the night and within minutes she changed back into in her Ravenclaw robes and emerged from the stall and glanced at her three friends in a business-like manner. "Ron you go ahead, stand watch outside the door make sure nobody comes in, Harry you head back to the dormitory and get your invisibility cloak...I'll stay with Hermione, until Harry gets back, we'll use the cloak to get down to the hospital wing without drawing anyone's attention. Deal?"

"Deal." Harry and Ron echoed before taking off to do as they were told. 

It took a long time for Anna to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom but by the time Harry sprinted back with the invisibility cloak flanked my Ron she was ready to get the help she needed. 

Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. “Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!” 

"Oh budger off, Myrtle!" Anna shouted back at her, "breathe a word and I'm sending Peeves up here to share your toilet." she said sending the ghostly girl a stern look that would make Mrs. Weasley proud.

"You wouldn't!" Myrtle hissed rounding on Anna who had an arm around Hermione in a protective manner.

Anna didn't flinch from the dead girl's glare, and in a hard voice replied, "I can and _will_ , and you know as well as I do Myrtle he'll listen to me... _I'm_ the only one that little cherub _does_ listen to and you'd do well to remember it."

The ghost girl shot Anna one last dirty look before she drove head first into the toilet leaving a flood of water in her wake.

"Well that solves that issue," Anna smirked thoughtfully. "Now to solve _your_ predicament, Herms." 

It was silent for a couple moment before, for the first time that night, all four friends burst out in hysterical laughter as they ushered Hermione to the Hospital Wing. Anna was relieved as just for a second Hermione seemed blissfully ignorant of her current state.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: A lot of you have been asking for a sequel which just doesn't seem I have the time for BUT I will be posting one shots of moments with our favorite Gryffindors and Ravenclaw throughout 1st and 5th year so keep an eye out for that. I really wanted to highlight the butterflies and jolts of chemistry between Anna and Draco but since they're so young they don't understand what that is or what that means. I'd also like to add, this is probably (in my HP universe timeline) what draws Draco to 'dating/hooking up with' Pansy as he gets older he's trying to recapture those feelings he felt in that moment but doesn't succeed. He doesn't realize it was his future wife that elicted those odd stirrings of feelings and not Pansy which is kind of cute.  
> With Love,  
> Starry**


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